Apparatus for determining the refraction and dispersion



H. VOELLMY Sept. 23, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE REFRACTION AND DISPERSION Filed Jan 12 i Patented Sept. Z3, 1930 UNITED STATES VHANS vvonLLMsr, on BASEL, SWITZERLAND APPARATUS Fon DETERMINING THE REERACTION Ann nrsrnnsron Application fuea January `12`, iaasjseriai No;

'The subject matter ofthe present inven-V tion is an apparatus for exactly determining the refraction and dispersionufor rays of any wave length through substances in a vaporous, liquid or solid state. .The well-known refractometers serve for eXactly determining the refraction of adetermined monon chrome ray inthe visible area of the spectrum. The principle of this refractometer is based either onthe deviationr ofthe ray by a prismatic vat containing the substanceor by a total reflection from a very thin `layer of the substance.` As" the optical parts of Y these apparatus are made of glass the appahowever, the accuracy `of theirmeasurement ability'for rays is too small owing to the f large thickness of the layer. It hasbeen proposedto overcome this disadvantage by utilizing very small prisms of the 1 substance,

is insufficient. i j

An apparatus involving the' method of crossed prisms has proved to be vconsiderably more handy, to take up' less time in handling it and to be verysuitable; A prismatic trough of quartz for receiving the substances yields ya spectrum the image of Vwhich is thrown along the gap of a quartz'sp'ectrograph. On the photographic plate a'continuous curved dispersion spectrum is obtained which is more or lessinclined towards the ordinary spectrum in accordance withthe degree of the dispersion and from Awhich the absolute'coetlicients of refraction could be arrived atforany point of the spectrum. This apparatus" permits a very high; de-

gree of accuracy to'be obtained particularly in measuringfthe dispersion; the permeability ofthe parts with a higher absorption capacity is, however, muchqtoo small; for'thenrays;i` At: anyrate the ac- 246,273, nain eejrmay Januaryrz, 1927.

-curacy Vwas sufficient to get a general ideaV of the refraction of some important organic liquids such as benzene, toluol etc. andthe feature has shown itself that particularlyV in the neighbourhood of the places of absorption,V which are almost always situated in the ultra-violet portion ofthe spectrum, the coefcients of refraction increase very much and that measurements n these parts are of great scientific and technical, interest, with a view of identifying substances. Many substances the coeiicients ofrefraction of which are alike or very'near to each other in the visible part ofthe yspectrumvwould in the ultravioletpart of the spectrum give"l coeilcients that differ considerably from each other and permit to easily .distinguish the substances from` each other.` y

It `is the object of the presentl invention to i provide an apparatus whichlpermits an easy andli-ngf and to determine in a very short timethe refraction of substances inthe ultra- Vvioletfand the visible range ofthe spectrum and which may be widely employed.

The method according to the present; inn4 Vention comprises introducing the substance to be tested into a plurality of similar and unidirected prismatic chambers .arranged transversely to the direction of the rays-and y in projectinga bundle of parallelraysfof` white light'on these prisms of the substance, i causing -them to be-deviated by these prisms `and to be decomposed into raysof different wave length, and inuniting the 4rays of the same wave length after the refraction, for the purpose of adding the actions of all the prisms and of obtaining Va spectrumof in creased brightness.

In thisV manner lthe optical prisms are passed by the raysatthe point ofthesmallest 90 i thickness of the layer ofsubstance.

A plurality of prismsV has alreadybeen Vdetermined colour. `:A device of this type can, however, not'be used to maketheuultraviolet range offthespectrum accessible to research las the arrangement of. glass prisms used for producing plurality ofimages 1n 'different colours of one object, whereby the within a liquid totally absorbs ultra-violet ravs.

Constructional examples of the subject matter of the present invention are illustrated on the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1- is an elevation with parts shown in section'.A of au refractometer,

Fig. 2 is a plan View of Fig. 1, Y

Fig. 3 shows a detail,

Fig. 4 shows in a verticali-section' a detail,

Figs. 5-7 showdetail modifications. Y

Referring" nowrv to the con'structional example illustrated in Figs. 1-3, a-framfe l is supportedion three legs 2'and may be adjustedV horizontally by means of the adjustingv screws l3. `A, horizontalV axle 4 is mountedY in` the frame 1 and a plate 5 is turn'ably mounted about the axle 4. The Yangular* extent of the turning may be read 0H a scale 7 providedon a disc 6 fixed to thev axle 4. A Vernier 8' fixed to the frame 1. permits accurate readings of the turning movements.

(Dn the plate 5 a Vpoint shaped source of light 9 is provided, which is for instance generated by an iron-cadmium spark gap. Further two concave mirrors 10 and 11`are arranged on the plate`5'.v The focal distance of the concave mirror 10 is so chosen that the rays from the source of light 9 impinging on the mirror are reflectedto one point. In this point a diaphragni- 12 provided with a` gapzis arranged. The focal distance 4of the concave mirror 11 is so chosen'V that the rays passing through the i gap of the diaphragm 12 are reflectedby vthe concave mirror- 1,1 as parallel beams. Above the axle 4 the device for receiving the substance to be examinedy is arranged. This vdevice consistsof two plane and parallel plates'ofquartz 13, 14, which contact with one face with each other and are held together by the covers 15.V The plate 13 zontallyvdi'sposed andv parallel to each other. VThe grooves' 16 in the plate 13 are covered by the plate 14 and inthe chambers thus formed the -substances to be examined are 'lled. Further the device forholding the substances to be examinedis provided with or otherwise:r In Order' to permit an ex aminatio'n' of s'ubstajnees' atf different temper-y aturesithe plates' 13 and 14 may, for instance, be placed in a-.c'asing 17'made of quartz and provided witha supply branch and f' a dis- Y cli'a'rgefbranch 18x,` 119 respectively (Fig. 4),

a whereby the'l substance'V contained f inthe grooves 16 may bef-kepty at-any desired tem- 'Y peratiire" by a? heating or 'coolingliquid or aix'fapeur'f ,cir-Gaiarin@ through the casing (Fig. is provided( withgrooves 16v of aL triangular` cross-section and which are hor` 17. In this manner the substances to be examined may be subjected to physical iniuences from outside (pressure and temperature) within wide limits.

On the frame 1 a concave mirror 20 is arranged for collecting the rays emanating from the device containing. the substances and focussing the reflected rays.

In the focal distance of the mirror 2O there is thegap of the diagrammatically illustrated spectrograph 21, in which a clear image of the dispersion spectrum is present and which is once more dispersed in the ver4 tical direction by the prism ofthe spectrograph, so Vthat on the photographic plate of the spectrograph an inclined or curved dispersion spectrum is obtained which may be readily measured.

The manner of operation of the above described apparatus is as follows:

vA portion of the rays emanated by the source of. light impinges on the concave mirror 10 and converges to a point in which .the diaphragm 12 is arranged. The other rays emanating from the source of light are screened off. From the diaphragm 12 the bundle of rays impinges on thev concave mirror 11, where it is. reflected as a bundle of parallel rays and impinges vertically on the quartz plate 13. The raysy enter the plate 13 without being deviated and some of them leave the platewithout deviation provided a ray passes through two grooves. These non-refracted rays serve for comparison withthe refracted rays.

Those rays 'which' impingeV the spaces f 16 containing the substance are deviated and the deviation is differentv according to the wave length so that no longer a white ray'lea'ves `the' devicev but the single rays of differenti wave length arranged one beside the other.

"-Every single groove produces a separate spectrum whereby the rays of they same wave length are parallel1 to each other after the refraction, as all the grooves or hollow spaces are similar, i. e. have'the same angles of incidence and of refraction. i y

The mirror20 unites all the parallel-rays ofthe same wave length in a point in its focal plane. Asthis is the' case withall the mono! chrome'bundles of' rays ofthe different' wave Y lengths infrpinging under various angles of incidence a complete sharp image of the spec- 1 trum'is obtained in the'focal'plane which, as -has been mentioned4 above, maybe observed by means of thespectrog'raph;

In order toobtain in the spectrograph that port-ion ofthe spectrum which is desired for measuring purposes the platev 5 together lwith 'the quartzV plates 13' and 14 may be turned,4 .Thereby thel rays are' lifted' orwlowered.- in

their vertical' pla-ne until the desired lportion of the" spectrum appears intl'ie gap of the spectr'ograp'h. 'Ihe amo-unt of-.thedangular displacement' of the. plate?5,:.r'vhi'clg1vY mayr be Y ity of parallel quartz plates arranged in closeV read oli' on the scale 7 and the vernier 8 and the observations in the spectrograph permit determination of the refraction of substances for rays of any wave length.

Instead of the prismatic hollow chambers produced by grooves of triangular profile prismatic chambers may be used which are formed in a vdifferent manner;V For instance a plurality of parallel plates 24E (Fig. 5) having a bevelled edge 25 may be placed one above the other so that theoutermost part of the edge 25 isin contact with a plate 26 forming one side of areceptacle. The plates 24 may be exchanged for others having differently bevelled edges 25.

Figs. 6. and 7 show modified constructions 'for obtaining hollow chambers by means of a plurality of parallel plates 24.

I claim: Y

l. In an apparatus of the type described, a device composed of quartz plates arranged to form a plurality of prismatic pockets to receive the substance to be examined and to shape the latter to form a plurality of small similar prisms, optical means to project a bundle of parallel rays of white light through said device, means to collect the retracted and decomposed rays of the same wave length to produce the dispersion spectrum, and means to influence the pressure of the substance enclosed in said device.

2. In an apparatus of the type described, in combination, a device comprising a plurality ot parallel quartz plates arranged in close proximity and enclosing between them a plurality of prism shaped hollow spaces for receiving the substance to be examined, and optical means to project a bundle of parallel rays of white light through said hollow spaces containing the substance as small prisms and means to collect the dispersed and decomposed rays of different wave length and converge the rays of the same wave length to a point. l

3. In an apparatus of the type described, in combination, a device comprising a plurality of parallel quartzV plates having bevelled edges and placed one above the other and inserted between other quartz plates one of which contacts with said bevelled edges to form hollow spaces of triangular cross-section orreceiving the substance to be examined, andoptical means to project a bundle of parallel rays of white light through said hollow spaces containing the substance as small prisms and a concave reflector to collect the dispersed and decomposed rays of difterent wave length and converge the rays of the same wave length to a point.

4l. In an apparatus of the type described, in combination, a device comprising a pluralproximity and enclosingbetween them a plurality of prisms shaped hollow spaces for receiving the substance to be examined, a source of light, means to project a bundle of parallel rays of white light through said device, and means to collect the dispersed and decomposed rays of dilierent wave length converge the rays of the same wave length to a point, a turnable plate on which said source lof light, said device and said first mentioned means are mounted, and means for ascertaining the amount of angular displacement between said plate and said rays collecting means, y

5. In an apparatus of the type described, in combination, a device comprising a plurality of parallel quartz plates arranged in close proximity and enclosing between them a plurality of prism shaped hollow'spaces for receiving the substance to be examined, a source of light, means to project a bundle of parallel j rays of white light through said device, and means to collect the dispersed and decomposed rays of diiiierent wave length and converge the rays of the same wave length to a point, a trame on which said vcollecting means are mounted, a plate turnably mounted in said frame and on which said source of light, said device and said first mentioned means are mounted, and means for ascertaining the amount of angular displacement between said plate and said frame.

6. A method of examining spectra of substances fo-r rays of any wave length, which comprises arranging the substance to be examined in a plurality of similar unidirected prismatic shapes, projecting a bundle of parallel rays of white light through the several shapes to `form a plurality of spectra, collecting the several spectra and projecting them as a single spectrum to an analyzing instrument. Y j

7. A method of examining spectra oit' substances for rays of any wave length, which comprises arranging the substance to be examined in a plurality of similar unidirected prismatic shapes, projecting a bundle of parallel rays ot white light through the several shapes to Jform a plurality of spectra, collecting `the several Vspectra and projecting them as a single spectrum to an analyzing instrument, and shifting the spectrum with respect to said instrument.

8. A method of examining spectra of substances for rays of any wave length, which comprises confining the substance to be examined in quartz retaining similar andi-parallel prismatic shapes suciently small to prevent absorption of ultra visible rays, passing white light through the substance while so confined to disperse light passing therethrough, combining the rays of wave length of the several spectra so produced and Jfocussing them to an analyzing instrument. VIn testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specication.

mins voELLMY.. 

